The present invention relates to a personal audio set that includes a pivoting ear clip mount.
Personal audio-sets, commonly known as headphones, earphones, headsets, and the like, are gaining in popularity. The typical audio-set includes a frame containing an earphone which is usually positioned over or in a wearer""s ear. In cases where the audio-set is a headset, a microphone is also typically positioned on the frame near the wearer""s mouth.
It is important that the frame of the audio-set securely hold these components in their proper places with respect to the wearer, without being unduly heavy and without causing discomfort to the wearer. Historically, the frames of personal audio-sets have included a headband that the wearer positions over or behind their head to hold an earphone portion over one or both ears. However, some headband-type personal audio-sets inadvertently compress the wearer""s head or ears thereby causing discomfort, particularly when the personal audio-set is worn for extended periods.
Personal audio-sets have been mounted to a wearer without using a headband. For example, some personal audio-set rely on ear plug-type mounts that are either physically wedged either into the wearer""s ear canal or hooked on the intertragal notch of the wearer""s ear as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,544,253 to Nagayoshi et al. However, the size of a wearer""s ear and ear canal differ greatly between wearers. Accordingly, different sized ear plugs must typically be offered to account for these differences in ear and ear canal sizes. Moreover, since the entire weight of the assembly is supported by such a small portion of the ear, these types of mounts feel uncomfortable for some wearers.
More recently, headphones have been hooked around the base of a wearer""s ear as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,171 to Marshall. However, these types of mounts are relatively bulky structures and some wearers feel discomfort supporting the personal audio-set in this matter. In addition, most ear hook designs do not easily lend themselves to being worn over either a wearer""s left or right ear.
Accordingly, despite the available improvements offered by personal audio-set ear mounts, there remains a need for an ear clip type mount for a personal audio set that is light weight, not bulky, reversible, and comfortable to wear. In addition to other benefits that will become apparent in the following disclosure, the present invention fulfills these needs.
The present invention is a personal audio set, such as a headphone, earphone, or headset, that includes a pivoting clip-type mounting portion, the mounting portion includes two arms extending from a frame defining an ear clip. Each arm is pivotally secured to the frame, preferably at a common first pivot, and biased to a neutral position with respect to each other. The arms move apart from each other about their respective pivots when being installed or removed from an ear, and seek to return to their neutral positions when placed on an ear, thereby securing the personal audio set on the base of a wearer""s ear.
Preferably, the mounting portion is also pivotally secured to the personal audio set at a second pivot that is substantially perpendicular to the first pivot and biased to a neutral position such that the audio set is biased against the wearer""s ear.
More preferably, the mounting portion and personal audio set are shaped to fit on both a wearer""s left and right ear.